Mac & More {Recipe ReDux}

My recipe testing for this week didn't go as planned. I fell ill on the weekend and thus fell behind on my week. I was inspired to try nutritional yeast, but since it's a new ingredient to me, I wasn't even sure where to start. I went to the closest health food store and had to ask, but they did have it. Since I was running short on time, I purchased it. When I got home, I realized that the brand I bought doesn't say much about its nutritional value beyond the standard nutrition facts panel, so I was a little disappointed. Some nutritional yeasts are fortified with vitamin B12, and it can be a good source of B vitamins, but all I can really tell about mine is that it's an excellent source of iron and relatively high in protein and fibre. I feel that a little marketing could go a long way on something like this. I prefer food over pills and powders and there are many ways to up the nutritional value of your recipes with items like nutritional yeast, but many people don't know what it is. It has many uses so I am excited to continue to play with it in my kitchen.

You may be wondering, but I was looking for a new ingredient, because this month's theme was A New Ingredient for the New Year: Pick a new ingredient that you’ve been wanting to try… and cook or bake up a new recipe in the new year. Show us how you’re cooking with something new (to you!) in 2016.

There are quite a few ingredients I have yet to play with and I look forward to seeing the other posts (see links below). I was inspired because we're continuing to introduce foods to our 14 month old, who did love most things and is gradually becoming pickier. I also mentioned squash mac and cheese to my kd loving husband and he was skeptical, so I though the cheesy taste of nutritional yeast would be a good addition to an attempt at squash mac and cheese.  Our daughter already loves cheese, but veggies can be a harder sell, perhaps until she has more teeth and can enjoy them raw too, so I also wanted to add some red pepper for extra flavour and nutritional value. It was a rushed week, so feel free to let me know if you'd tweak the recipe and I know the photos aren't my best (shot mostly at night). My husband approved it, so that was a good start!

Mac & More

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1/2 red pepper, washed, cut in half

1 medium butternut squash, washed, peeled, and cut into 1-2 inch cubes

1/4 - 1/3 cup onion, I used 1 small white, washed, peeled, and roughly chopped

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

340g small pasta (I used whole wheat macaroni)

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup milk (I used 1%)

4 Tbsp nutritional yeast

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread red pepper (I roasted the whole pepper), squash and onion, drizzle with olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the red pepper is slightly charred. Set aside to cool.

2. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside.

3. Combine butternut squash (you want 1 cup pureed) with red pepper in a blender until smooth.

3. Meanwhile prepare your roux: Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Melt butter, whisk in flour until combined. Slowly add in milk, continually whisking until smooth. Add nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper (to taste). Continue to whisk until thickened. Add the pureed vegetables and stir to combine.

  4. Mix in pasta until coated.

5. Serve immediately. Option to garnish with shredded cheese and/or parsley.

Cheers,

Stay well and get adventurous with new ingredients!

Steph Langdon, RD

www.nutrishus.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Tortilla Egg Cups {ReDux}

I didn't find time for last month's Cook Once, Eat Twice recipe challenge, oddly enough we made what I was planning one evening a little later. I was thinking leftover baked potatoes as a type of one-pot hash or a scramble, which my husband made one night since it's such a quick meal to throw together. Since I now have a five month old on my hands, things that are quick or make leftovers are still key. I was also working on a few recipes for an upcoming young athlete demo when I came up with this one.I get my chance to blog and create in the kitchen once the little one goes to bed at night, since I don't want to miss out on spending any time with her!

 

Our April challenge/theme was Spring cleaning: Go through your pantry, cupboards, freezer, or fridge; what ‘treasures’ have you found? Pick an ingredient/spice/condiment that’s been hanging out for a while and give it the attention it needs. Share a healthy recipe made using your new-found pantry prize.

  

I came across dry mustard which I rarely use, I'm not even sure what recipe I would have originally bought it for. The prep is fairly minimal and if you prep a lot of veggies while making this, then you're set for your busy week - for pastas, salads, stirfries, etc. It's also a great recipe for satisfying differing tastes as you can make a variety of combinations.

Tortilla Egg Cups
Makes 12 cups

Ingredients
3 large whole wheat tortillas (9-10" diameter)
2 Tbsp green onion,diced
3 Tbsp red pepper, diced
3 Tbsp mushrooms, diced
1/3 cup arugula, chopped
1/3 cup ham, roughly chopped
6 eggs
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2-1 tsp dry mustard
 dash of pepper

 

 

 

 

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Cut tortillas into quarters with a pizza cutter or knife (I checked out theyummylife for tips on making tortilla cups). Place in muffin tin (no need to grease it)
3. Wash and chop veggies.
4. Whisk eggs, cottage cheese, mustard, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in veggies and ham.
5. Divide egg mixture evenly into 12 cups and bake for 20-25 minutes until set. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

 

What treasure(s) have you found in your kitchen?

Cheers,

Steph

See other dietitian recipes below: 

An InLinkz Link-up

Easter on my Mind

I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting older, am more mindful, am a new mom, or what, but it really feels like we're rolling from one festive holiday to the next and next week is already April and Easter! Do any of you feel that way? I know if you go to any stores it's quite obvious, as Valentine's stuff goes on sale we see St. Patrick's Day stuff and Easter stuff already lining the shelves, and I still can't figure out when chocolate became the go-to food for all the holidays?! I do love chocolate, but try to limit myself and lately try to go dark or not at all (I'm also choosing quality, so that I feel it's worth the indulgence!).

Either way, holidays can be a hard time to stay on track with healthy eating. I keep working on my personal development and I think a few terms stand out to me - contentment and now imperfection. I am striving to be who I am and love it (rather than try to be a version of myself that I'll never achieve). So whatever you're working on, make sure you're not being too hard on yourself or expecting perfection - first of all, I've learned that it's impossible to achieve, but we also have to remember that we all likely define 'perfect' very differently. I continue to pin new quotes that inspire me (and hopefully inspire some of you) - feel free to share your favourites in the comment section below!

So, try not to stress about Easter. Enjoy time with family and friends, get outside, relax, do what you need to do for yourself. As my followers know, I tend to enjoy food jokes and having fun with food themes for holidays. I found a few cute snacks on Pinterest that I wanted to share with you. My first thoughts with Easter go to eggs and carrots and what I can do with them - perhaps you have a tradition you'd like to share that is food related or a gift that is not food related.

Bacon and eggs bunny from worthpinning:

Pineapple chick from FamilyFun magazine:

















Cheese and cracker chicks from CanadianFamily:

There are so many ways to get creative and include veggies, fruit, and protein in your holiday celebrations. Happy Spring to you all!

Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus